Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-02

Jalisco; and here also is the famous Lake
Chapala, go miles long and 16 wide. Guada-
laiara, one of the finest cities in all Span
ish America, is the Capital and on the
western coast is the port of San Bias, cele-
brated in song and story. One of the most
interesting portions of Jalisco is the
TERRIroRIo DE TEP1c,n
An important mining district, about $50
miles from the capital of the State, and
forty miles east from San Bias. So war
like and untamable are the people of Topic
that they have been a source of unending
anxiety to the successive rulers of Mexico,
and during the last of President Lerda' S
administration it was set apart as mill
tary territory, to be thenceforth vigorously
ruled by martial law, the Federal Govern
ment agreeing to pay an annual amount,
called Subsidio to its inhabitants For
many years Topic has been fired by the
notion OF independence from the eonfeder-
alton of Mexican States, and the establish
ment of a Republic central of its own
"a Quixotic idea, which originated in the
brain of a lawyer of Guadalajara. 1t has
met with considerable favor, however, in
several other of the central States of Mex
leo, and is forever melting the Indians TO
AAlob1ACOtlOA dEaAliot blAS OOnClo1 oONNAA-
ment. A few years ago, in pursuance of
this plan, the Tepicans to the number Of
$4,000, attacked Guadalajara, led by Gen.
Lozado, who was afterwards executed for
his part in the rebellion.
Whenever the SlbSidio is not promptly
paid-which frequently happens with the
depleted treasury OF an impoverished Gov
ernment-the rugged mountaineers, under
the belief that they were deprived of their
rights of citizenship and placed under op-
pressive military rule by false promises,
rush to arms as naturally as sparks fly up
ward. So formidable an uprising occurred
here recently that the President was obliged
to send a considerable force to protect the
Federal soldiers already stationed in the
Territorio.
Rebellions in Topic have always been
exceedingly difficult to suppress, for the
Government troops meet N every Indian a
mortal foe, and it is said that one of the
latter, while on his native heath" is equal
to score of hireling soldiers. Knowing
well their own section, the reyolters perch
LIKE BIRDS OF PREY
In the narrow defiles and canyons of the
mountains, or seek safety in the fever
haunted lagoons of the lowlands, which
are, with good reasons, a deadly terror to
the unacelimated
The town of Topic, which lies at the
foot of the Sierra del Alicia, has about 90
900 inhabitants. Though an important
mining center, it is chiefly noted for its
manufacture of fine cigars At an eleya-
ton of over 1000 feet above the gulf it is
surrounded by rich coffee and tobacco
producing country, having the Pacific
port San Bias, for a convenient point of
shipment Topic is exactly 258 miles from
the City of Mexico, and is reached by
diligencia from Guadalajara. The Next
can Central Railway Company is building
a branch line, which will run TO San Bias,
nearly parallel to the old stage route.
AT San Bias the imaginative traveller feels
no small degree of pleasure in having
crossed the continent at last and having
discovered the Pacific, like another Balboa,
whose great waves breaking upon the rock
bound coast sound in solemn murmurs
through his dreams The shabby little port
is hardly more than a matched village,
though larger than Acapulco or Mama
Milo. Itspopulation is less than 1000, and
a desultory communication is kept up with
the outer world by means of Pacific Mail
steamers, which stop here once a month.
SAN BIAS
Is distant from San Francisco only 1919
miles by sea, but the hot, tropical jungles
surrounding 1.-THE proper home and IA
vorite haunt of yellow fever and fatal
cale,aftTaS-have isolated it as completely
as though it occupied another sphere.
On bluff ABOVE the present town lie the
ruins of an ancient and much more sub
stantial San Bias, which was shaken in
pieces by an earthquake many years ago.
Some old bronze bells from its demolished
church have been brought down from the
bluff and set up in front of the grass
matched chapel, which seems to satisfy
modern ecclesiastical needs. This arrange
ment, which at first was intended to be but
temporary, is now sometimes satirically re-
ferred to as ia TORE de San Blaen c'the San
Bias steeple"); but it is quite probable that
the lazy people-now that priestly power
no longer rules-will never provide a bet
ter belfry for the rusty bells than the rude
trestlework in front of the poor adobe
chapel.
1t will be remembered that these same
g Bells of San Blas"-as written about in
Harper's by that pleasant author, w. H.
Bishop-served as the inspiration for Long
fellows latest poem. The great poet died
on the 24th Of March, 1882, and in his
portfolio was found his last work. entitled,
The Bells of San Bias" dated March
10th, nine days before the hand that wrote
was stilled forever. We have not space for
the whole poem, but here are three verses
from the eleven. Look it up, friends-it
is well worth the trouble
what say the Bells of San Bias
To the ships that southwark pass
From the harbor of Mazatlan?
To them it is nothing more
Than the sound of the surf on the shore,
Nothing more to master or man.
But to me, a dreamer of dreams,
To whom what is and what seems
Are often one and the same,
The Bells of San Bias to me
Have strange, wild melody,
And are something more than a name.
" Oh, Bells of San Bias, in vain
Ye call back the Past again
The Past is deaf to your prayer;
Out of the shadows of night
The world rolls into light;
1t is daybreak everywhere"
FANNrF r Warn